You may not realize it, but spring cleaning is actually GOOD for you. Spring cleaning can help you avoid allergy symptoms which tend to be at their worst in the spring, not to mention the emotional benefits. We all have a little bit more time on our hands right now and are spending most of it in our homes, why not use it to make your new McAdams home even more comfortable and enjoyable?!
While you may already have your own system for spring cleaning, there may be better/faster/more effective ways of doing things. We’re going to share some of our favorite spring cleaning hacks to keep your new home sparkling for years to come.
It is easy to be overwhelmed before you even get started. It helps to have a plan so you don’t get distracted. Try segmenting your home into zones. Zones can include bathrooms, kitchen, living spaces, bedrooms, garage, basement, and outdoor spaces. By approaching the areas that need cleaning in manageable chunks, you’re ensuring you don’t get overwhelmed and abandon your cleaning efforts. Now is a good time to get the family involved too. Assign everyone a zone and get that teamwork going!
Now for some of our favorite cleaning hacks! The kitchen is a good place to start…and is one of our favorite rooms in every McAdams home. To clean your dishwasher, place a cup of distilled white vinegar on the top rack and run it. Your dishwasher will be spic and span with no effort on your end. Clean your garbage disposal by dropping in a handful of crushed ice, half a lemon, and some salt. Turn the disposal on and let it run for a minute. The combination of the lemon and salt will neutralize any odors coming from the disposal.
Bathrooms…everyone’s dreaded chore! But, we make it easy with some homemade hacks. Shower heads can sometimes not work as efficiently as they should due to calcium build up. Remove the shower head, and soak it overnight in distilled white vinegar, and it will be good as new. Get rid of stubborn water stains on faucets or handles using half a lemon. Simply rub the area with the lemon and you’ll have shiny fixtures that smell lemony fresh. Glass shower doors are notorious for building up residue. Take a dryer sheet, sprinkle it with water and scrub down the door to make the glass sparkle.
For the rest of the house, we’ve compiled some of our favorite hacks to make your life easier and your new McAdams home sparkly…er! Blinds always build up dust. Use an old sock and mix up a solution of equal parts water and vinegar. Slip the sock on your hand, dip it in the cleaning solution and then run your hand over the dusty blinds. Rinse and repeat until the whole blind is clean. For dusty air vents, take a butter knife and wrap a thin rag around it. Then slide the knife back and forth between the slats of the vents. Dryer sheets are an excellent tool for dusting. When used on baseboards, not only do they clean off the dust, but they also leave behind a slight residue that will repel dust and keep them from getting dirty as quickly again.
And our personal favorite, use shaving cream to treat stubborn carpet stains…because who’s shaving right now, am I right?! Dab shaving cream on the affected area, let it sit for a few minutes, then wipe it away with a wet cloth!